Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Position Status: Full Time

Salary Level – TBD

Current Team Member: New (Upgrade) position

Safeguarding Risk Level – High

Duties and Responsibilities:

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT (40%)

• Partner with program teams to define strategic and thematic areas for storytelling objectives, develop tailored systems to collect and produce high-impact stories, and integrate products to the broader country communications strategy and vision.

• Lead the strategic documentation, collection, and production of high-quality stories and lessons focusing on key results and lessons learned.

• Design and implement capacity strengthening and facilitation materials for story collection and development, supporting programs’ ability to consistently and effectively communicate their program vision with key audiences. Provide ongoing mentorship to teams to improve story collection and production. The communications manager also provides guidance to program teams on recommended strategies to build a foundation for strong storytelling and documentation.

• Enhance the communications approach of key flagship programs of Mercy Corps Ethiopia to help them develop plans to elevate their stories, evidence and influence externally and internally.

LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT (30%)

• With support from the Program Performance and Quality Director, the communications manager will activate and operationalize a portfolio-level learning center and systems for institutionalizing learning and evidence culture, and use of them for program adaptation, enhance program quality, and contribute to influencing.

• Support implementation of learning events, including developing operational plans, helping develop content, and facilitating participation in different events.

• Collaborate with program technical teams to connect story collection to monitoring and evaluation, learning and evidence pieces to produce highly substantiated learning and evidence products for knowledge curation.

• Support program teams in mapping existing data systems and compelling evidence pieces to answer high-level (strategic theme-based) learning questions and advance the organization’s evidence and learning agenda.

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS (20%)

• Ensure adherence to Mercy Corps and donor branding and marketing standards, maintaining quality across materials, events, and other media.

• Oversee the development of publications, materials, and other products from design to writing, editing, branding and distribution

• Manage special events and relationships that include facilitating government, corporate, donor, and other high-level official visits to project sites and head office.

• Build the capacity of all relevant team members in communications, including Donor regulations and technical abilities such as photography, videography, and developing messages and materials for program activities.

• Communicate effectively to ensure overall program targets and donor obligations are met.

ADVOCACY AND INFLUENCE (10%)

• Work with the senior management and establish a system for the collection and systemic organization of evidence for advocacy and influence based on agency themes country development and humanitarian priorities and context.

• Lead the gathering and packaging of impactful stories and lessons to show the relevance and impacts of Mercy Corps program approaches of working on system-level results through market system development, resilience building, and partnership-based model programming.

• Support the country team in identifying, building, and managing collaborative partnerships with peer agencies, government partners, and donor agencies to realize organizational mission and vision.

• Work with media and communication outlets to facilitate strategic dissemination of impactful stories, lessons and new evidence.

Job Requirement:

Required Experience, Skills & Competencies

• MA/S in Communications and Journalism, Foreign Language and Literature, Social Science, International development or similar fields preferred.

• 5 years of professional experience in a relevant field for international development programs; USAID or another donor, or NGO preferred.

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in communications and learning on development and humanitarian response programming.

• Demonstrated experience working with diverse team, culture and context.

• Exceptional skills in technical communications such as synthesizing technical information into readers friendly, clear and impactful piece of story or report.

• Experience in market systems development, and resilience programming is an advantage.

• High degree of computer literacy; graphic design tools, photography/videography, Excel and Word skills are essential.

• Ability to manage and meet deadlines.

• Ability to work independently on multi-task load.

• Excellent communication, presentation and organizational skills.

• Fluency in written and oral English and Amharic languages. Must be able to read and interpret documents and communicate with others as necessary to perform job duties effectively.

How to Apply

All qualified individuals are invited to apply for the advertised position. All applications, including a CV, three references, and all applicable official papers, must be sent electronically using THIS LINK

Only candidates that are short-listed will be acknowledged and called for interviews.

“Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer promoting gender, equity, and diversity. Qualified female and young candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We are committed to empowering women and youth.”

DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS:  10 October 2024/ 4:00 PM